Machine for applying bottle-seals.



E. D. SCHMITT.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING BOTTLE SEALS.

No. 697,282. Patented Apr. 8, |902.

(Apncmon nea Dn, 31. 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet I.

.lullgll A mug-5- No. 697,282. Paty'ented Aur. 8. |902.

E. D. SCHMITT.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING BDTTLE lSEALS.

(Application led Dec. 31, 1901.)

(No Model.) 4 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

@wr l In I abbiam,

NrTnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD D. SCHMITT, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO UNIVERSAL SEAL -AND STOPPER COMPANY, OF BAL- TIMORE,MARYLAND, AND CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING BOTTLE-SEALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters. Patent N0. 697,282, dated April8, 1902.

llpplication fled December 3l, 1901. Serial No. 87,952. (No model.) i

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. SCHMITT, a citizen of the United States,residing at 2444 Woodbrook avenue, in the city of Baltimore, and Stateof Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMachines for Applying Bottle-Seals; and I do declare the following tobea full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,such as willenable others skilled in theartto which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspeciication.

This invention relates to machines for applying bottle-seals, and moreespecially for applying a seal of special construction illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, as well as seals that would require the same,or substantially the same, mechanical operation to seat them and lockthem in place.

The object of the invention is to so construct the sealing-head as awhole that the operating parts therein will eectively seat the seal andlock the same in place'in the inside of the bottle-neck in such a mannerthat the danger or risk of chipping or otherwise injuring the bottle orseal will be impossible.

Afurther object is to provide a simple and durable machine of thischaracter in which the parts are not likely to get out of order.

Other objects and advantages resulting from the construction shown anddescribed will later become apparent.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine; Fig. 2,afront elevation thereof; Fig. 3, a central vertical section of thesealing-head, the parts thereof being in the position they occupy beforethe sealing operation. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the head with theparts thereof in nal operative position, showing a seal seated in thebottleneck. Thisviewis taken transversely of the line upon which Fig. 3is taken to more clearly show the construction of the seal and thepositions of the operative parts of the plunger relative to said seal.Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the lower slidable portion of the headadapted to be engaged by the bottle-head in ,center of said table.

the sealing operation. Fig. 6 is a sectional View of this slidableportion, showing the grooves for guiding and holding the seal in puttingthe same in place before the sealing operation; and Fig. 7 is aperspective view of a seal which may be applied by this machine. Fig. 8is a perspective view of the centering device for holding and centeringthe bottle upon the bottle-supporting table.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 represents the frame,preferably formed of cast-iron with a widened base 2, through which passbolts or screws to fasten the machine iirmly in place upon the floor orother support. This frame is formed with a forward extension 3, havinglaterally-extending plates 4, to which, by means of bolts or otherwise,I fasten the plate 5 integral with aA split sleeve 6, in which is adjustably held a short shaft 7, carrying the bottle-supporting Y numeral`13 indicates the bottle-centering de.

vice provided with a lower horizontal arm 14, having an elongated slot15 therein for the passage of a set-screw 16, which secures the deviceto the underside of the table,as shown, and permits of adjustment to andfrom the The upper part of this device is formed with two diverging arms17, which embrace the bottle and hold it in proper position upon thetable. y

Rigidly secured by bolts or otherwise to the slightly-overhangingportion 18 of the frame is a sleeve 19, forming a part of thesealinghead 20, which will now be described. This sleeve is providedwith a vertical slot 21, through which extends rearwardly an arm 22,preferably integral with a vertically-movable plunger-carrying core 23.The arm 22 is adjustably secured to the upper end ot' a vertical rod23', pivoted at its lower end at 23 to the foot-lever 24, which is inturn pivoted in the cut-away portion 25 of the frame at 26.

As is usual in machines of this character the foot-lever is heldnormally raised by aspring 26', which in the present instance also keepsthe plunger-carrying core 23 normally raised in the sleeve. Y

In carrying out my invention I bore the K core vcylindrically,asindicated-by the numeral 27, for the reception of the compound plunger2S, preferably, -Ihough not necessarily, formed in three pieces, onepiece constituting the upper member 28, which, as will presentlyappeal', serves to lock the seal in the or bore 34. The upper member isprovided with a head and a stem 36,v operating between the parts 33 ofthe lower member, and this stem terminates considerably above the endsof the lower plunger member for a purpose that will become apparent.Interposed between the vunder side of a screw-plug 37 and the head 35 ofthe upper plunger member is a strong spiral spring 38, and between theunder side of said head and the heads 30 of the lower member is a spring39, preferably not so strong as the spring 38.y Between the under sideof the shoulder 31 and a slidableI lower portion 40 is a spring 41,preferably muchvwealier than either of the springs just mentioned. y y

',.The lower end of the core is externally screwthreaded, as indicatedby the numeral 41', to adaptit to receive the internally-screw-threadedring 41". This ring serves to hold the slidable portion 40 in place inthe core. The slidable lower portion 40 is provided with a centralopening for the passage of the legs of the lower plunger member and thereception of the stem of the upper member in the sealing operation, asshownin Figs. and 6. This slidable Vportion is further provided with twooppositely-disposed inclined grooves 42 for the reception of the arms ofthe seal and to guide it into its -proper place in the head.

To add to the neatness of r the construction,

` I preferably cover the head with a metallic Ass cap 42, which can bereadily removed when it is desired to reach the screw-plug to adjust thetension of the upper springs or to remove the operating parts of theplunger.

Having described the mechanism of the machine, I will now describe itsoperation.

A lled bottle is placed upon the table concentric with the sealing-headand a seal, such as is illustrated in the drawings, is placed in thehead. The foot-lever is vnow depressed, which will, through the mediumof the rod 23', cause the plunger-carrying core to descend until thebottle-head comes in contact with the slidable lower portion 40 in thecore, and this portion will be moved upwardly against the tension ofspring 41, thus guiding the legs of the lower plunger member into thebottle-neck. Afurtherdownwardmovement of the core will seat the sealunder the yielding pressure of spring 39, and a still further downwardmovement of the core will bring the upward extensions 32 in contact withthe under side of the'head ofthe upper plunger member, when both plungermembers will move upwardly together' for avery short distance againstthe yielding pressure of the strong spring in the upper part of thecore. This movement will bring the lower end of the stem 36 intoengagement with the locking means of the seal and cause the same toenter the depression a in one arm of the seal. Upon releasing thefoot-lever all of the parts wi1l`be returned to normal position vby thespring operating on the foot-lever to return the plunger-carrying coreand the springs in the core to return the plunger parts.

I claimn l. A machine for applying bottle seals, comprising an outsidesleeve, a verticallymovable core in said sleeve and containing acompound plunger, the parts thereof being spring-pressed and each membercapable of a movementindependent of the other in the core, one of saidplunger members being adapted to seat the seal in the inside of thebottle-neck, and the other adapted to engage the locking means of theseal to lock said seal in place therein, substantially as described.

2. A machine vfor applying bottle seals, comprising an outsidestationary sleeve, a verticallymovable core in said sleeve containing acompound plunger, the parts thereof being spring-pressed and each membercapable of a movement independent of the other in the core, one of theplunger members being adapted to seat the seal in the inside of thebottle-neck, and the other to engage the locking means of the seal tolock said seal in place in the bottle-neck upon the downward movement ofthe core, and means for so moving the core, and means for restoring thecore to normal position after each operation, substantially asdescribed.

3. Ascal-applying machine, comprising an outside stationary sleeve, avertically-movable core in said sleeve and containing a com-` poundplunger, the parts thereof being springpressed and each member capableof a movement independent of-eaeh other in the core, one member beingadapted to seat the seal in the inside of the bottle-neck, and the otherto engage the locking means of the seal to lock said seal in placetherein upon the downward movement of the core, a vertically-movablespring-pressed lower portion, slidable in said core and adapted to beengaged by the bottle-head in the downward movement of said core toguide the ends of the plunger members into proper position to operateupon the seal, substantially as described.

IIO

4. A seal-applying machine, comprising an outside stationary sleeve, avertically-movable core in said sleeve and containing a compoundplunger, the parts thereof being springpressed and each member capableof a movement independent of the other' in the core, one member beingadapted to seat the seal in the inside of the bottle-neck, and the otherto engage the locking means of the seal to lock said seal in placetherein upon the downward movement of the core, a vertically-m ovablespring-pressed lower portion slidable in compound plunger, comprising atwo -part lower member adapted to seat the seal in the inside of thebottle-neck, and an upper member adapted to engage the locking means ofthe seal to lock the same in place in the bottle-neck, each member beingcapable of a movement independent of the other in the core, a springinterposed between the twoV members, and a spring bearing on the uppermember, a vertically-movable spring-pressed lower portion, slidable inrelation to the core and adapted to be engaged by the bottlehead in thedownward movement of the core to guide the ends of the plunger membersto proper position to operate upon the seal, and means for restoring thecoreto normal position'after each operation, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature .in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD D. SCHMITT.

Vitnesses:

JOHN W. Hnwns, MABEL E. STEARNS.

